Sikandar Raza has been brilliant as Zimbabwe's captain.
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza explained they shuffled their batting order four times during the epic run chase against Sri Lanka in Colombo. The Chevrons topped Group B with an unbeaten run in the initial phase, and their best batting performance came against the co-hosts.
Raza explained that the initial plan was to send Dion Myers at No.3, but once openers formed a solid 69-run opening stand, they decided to send Ryan Burl to keep the momentum going. Later, Dion was supposed to come two down, but the captain promoted himself and went on to play a blinder, and Myers eventually didn’t bat.
“We actually changed our batting order about four times during the chase. At one stage, Dion was going to walk out – then that stopped. Then we sent Burl. If Burl had gone early, Dion would have walked out. Burley had a good partnership, then I ended up walking out, Dion was pushed back, and Musekiwa walked in.”
Raza’s ploy to come at No.4 was tactical, as he wanted to take spinners down, which he did precisely by striking at 177.77 and hitting as many as five boundaries in 18 deliveries. His cameo helped Zimbabwe get over the line despite late jitters, as Raza’s superior tactical move paid dividends.
Zimbabwe might have conceded a bit too many in the first innings, but they were in control for most of the run chase in the second innings. The openers were prudent with their approach, maximising the field restrictions by scoring 55 runs, with Tadiwanashe Marumani acting as an aggressor with a strike rate of 158.82.
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Once Marumani departed, Burl continued hitting with a quickfire 23 to keep Zimbabwe ahead in the chase. Then came Raza’s cameo, as he accumulated 45 runs in 26 deliveries, including two boundaries and four maximums, at a strike rate of 173.08.
Amidst all the big hitting from the other end, Brian Bennett continued his anchor role by keeping one end tight, even if his scoring rate was slightly lower than that of other batters. He remained unbeaten on 63 in 48 balls and played till the final over to take Zimbabwe home after the second-highest successful run-chase at R. Premadasa Stadium.
This is a role he has nailed in recent times: he bats deep and allows other batters around him to take more risk without worrying about too many dismissals. Role clarity for all players has been palpable throughout the tournament, and Zimbabwe have been flexible enough to swap roles depending on the situation.
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